I think we all went through the dawning realization that the weight somehow "crept up" on us.
It was the same for me definitely. I used to always weigh anywhere between 170-180. I kind of accepted myself at that weight since my mother, grandmother, and even great grandmother were all the same height and weight as me. I chopped it down to genetics and left it at that.
Then the years went by and I went in a sort of denial that I was piling on even more pounds. Oh, I think I knew it in the back of my mind but, I rationalized it by thinking I could lose that little extra by snapping my fingers.
Then one day at my mother-in-law's house I stepped on the scale. I saw that the little extra had turned into 80 pounds!
I felt miserable. I thought there is no possible way that "I" can lose over 100 pounds. I thought of all those weight commercials where people claim that they lost massive amounts of weight on this so-and-so diet. And I thought...ya right, "normal" people don't lose that much weight on their own through diet and exercise.
And then I looked around online for support. I knew I wanted to find a place where there were people like me. Of course I am not knocking people who want to lose 10-20 pounds but, I wanted to see proof that there were people out there who were committed to losing massive amounts of weight like myself. People who thought it was possible! That is when I found 3FC.
I have to say when I first came here, I was still in denial. I still didn't want to believe that "I" had to lose over 100 pounds! I tried a lot of things (certain diets and exercise) that didn't work work for me because I wasn't truly putting in the effort.
I sat around, lurked, read everything I could get my hands on and slowly I had a change in my way of thinking. I came up with a plan that I knew would work for my body. And I had the confidence that everything would work, I would lose weight. I'm not going to lose everything by tomorrow but, someday I will stand on the scale and see my magic number. Everyone here has shown me that they ARE doing it or HAVE done it. Even if you lose 2 pounds, you LOST 2 pounds!
The most important thing I have learned is patience. Take things slow. Don't expect to lose 50 pounds in one month because you will be disappointed. Also, don't look at the weight you have to lose in one whole chunk. Look at it in smaller more realistic quantities (5-10 pounds), and concentrate on losing just that. Celebrate every pound you lose because every pound lost is a healthier you!
One more tip: If you don't know what diet plan to follow then make up your own. That is basically what I did.
As long as you follow some basic guidelines like eat lots of healthy fruit and vegetables, avoid white breads and pastas (switch to whole grains), use low fat dairy, limit your intake of sodas and alcohol (replace with lots of water, unsweetened teas, etc.), choose leaner cuts of meat (chicken and fish are great), and avoid junk foods...you will be fine!
Look around for some healthy recipes and let me tell you some of them are sooo good that you will forget that you are on a diet! In other words, just because you are on a diet doesn't mean that you have to deprive yourself of yummy foods. There is healthy and YUMMY stuff out there!
Anyway, I think I wrote a novel for you. I hope you don't mind
Stick around here...you won't regret it!